Budding Footballer in the Family? How to Encourage Your Young Star

Even if your child isn’t that interested, you probably already recognise the benefits of playing football. It may be that you’re an avid football fan and want your child to enjoy football as much as you, or it may be that you recognise football as a team sport. Whatever the reason for wanting to encourage your child to play, it may be easier said than done. This is especially true now, in an age of video games, 3D TV and social media. So, how can you give you child that extra nudge?

Support

It’s no good asking your child to be involved in football if you’re never there to support them. Make sure you attend as many games as you can. But, don’t be one of those parents that shouts tips from the stand; leave that up to the coach. Support comes in many forms, from listening to your child’s complaints and offering solutions to washing dirty kits and offering lifts to and from the football grounds. You need to invest time and money into your child’s chosen sport to support them as well as possible.

See the Real Deal

It often helps to encourage children to play by getting them enthusiastic about the sport in all its glory. Encourage your child to support a professional team and spend time together watching the games. Any young footballers dream is to watch their team live from their home stadium. Being there in person and being a part of the atmosphere can really spur a child on to commit to their training. If you and your child support different teams you could make some bets together. Betting on sports is just good family fun, but be warned – your child may not hold back if his/her team wins!

Team Work

When playing football, your child will soon learn that no footballer is better than their team. Football is a team sport, so players need to support each other in order to win. It’s a simple but important life lesson that every needs to learn. Playing football will give your child the advantage of learning it early and applying it to different things in later life. Often times, your football team can become like a second family, so encourage your child by helping them to build relationships with team mates.

Getting Over Mistakes

Many youngsters give up on their sporting dreams and goals because they’re unable to deal well with failures. Every sportsman has a day where they perform poorly or let their team down. It can make them feel like they’re not worthy of playing or scared to return to the sport. Make sure your child knows that everyone fails, and the most important thing they can do is get up and try again.

Overall Health

Does your child know the benefits of being outdoors and exercising with football? It not only helps with weight and boosting the immune system, but studies have also shown that children who get into sports at a young age are more likely to be confident as adults.

Most importantly, listen to your children. There’s no point in forcing them to do something they won’t enjoy.